News Article

Swiss BMC Reorganizing Company Structure

GRENCHEN, Switzerland – Swiss bike producer BMC, managed by sole shareholder Andy Rihs (photo), has reorganized the companys structure. A holding company named ISH International Sport Holding AG was founded with several subsidiaries which must ensure further growth and the companys commitment to become a global

GRENCHEN, Switzerland – Swiss bike producer BMC, managed by sole shareholder Andy Rihs (photo), has reorganized the company’s structure. A holding company named ISH International Sport Holding AG was founded with several subsidiaries which must ensure further growth and the company’s commitment to become a global supplier of lifestyle products for sports and recreation.

Next to the new ISH International Sport Holding company with BMC assigned to it, the Board of Directors founded a central operating company. Its name is SMT Swiss Manufacturing Technology and falls under ISH. All central functions, such as research and development, purchasing, production and administration, are handled by SMT. The operating company also holds all of the group’s rights to registered trademarks (e.g. BMC) and patents and will create additional brands or acquire them.

The ISH Group has reinforced its ranks as part of this new organisation by naming as of October 1, 2006 Andreas Georgiadis CEO of the entire group. Over the past 15 years, he has been employed in various management functions with renowned Swiss enterprises. Most recently he served as CEO of the Kieser Training group of companies where he was responsible for the company’s international growth.

What has previously been BMC Trading AG has become the sales and marketing company for the high-tech bikes under the BMC label. Andreas Kessler remains the company’s CEO. During the last five years he managed to boost sales more than fivefold and increased the company’s export share from 0 to 50%. Alone in the 2005/06 fiscal year which closed September, 30 2006, sales rose by more than 30% to roughly CHF 25 million (euro 15.7 mn). Today, in addition to its domestic Swiss market, BMC is represented via sales support bases in all of the significant European markets (Germany, France, Italy and the Benelux countries), as well as in the US, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Sole shareholder Andy Rihs is convinced that: "BMC will continue to grow between 30% and 50% a year in the coming years thanks to its innovative range of high-tech bikes and the strengthening of its global sales network. We also plan to go public in the next 4 or 5 years."

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